Lamb Shanks Tajine with Mushrooms and Artichokes Recipes
Lamb shanks are one of the most ideal cuts of the lamb:
Lean, tender, low maintenance, and best of all, very well priced! And I love their rustic, unpretentious look making your homemade dish look….homemade. The bones in the lamb shanks contribute a succulent gelatinous texture. In the event you are serving this dish at a buffet, and would rather use boned meat, no problem using boned lamb. I am making this dish the Tajine way: All in one pot, adding the ingredients to the pot according to their cooking time. See what I mean, when I say low maintenance? And the shidduch of flavors just can’t be beat: Lamb, artichokes, mushrooms! Yum! All these Sephardi stove-top preparations are delightful: Just get yourself a wide stainless steel heavy pot, and you are all set!
I am adding the rosemary not because it is indigenous to the original recipe (it’s not, and I don’t use it in this dish), but because rosemary is such a wonderful crowd pleaser with lamb.
The exact same dish is delicious made with beef. I love beef cheeks for stew, I wish there was a way to make them sound as delicious as they taste! Remember to wash them thoroughly to rid them of any excess salt, and don’t add salt anywhere in the dish, just as I instruct you to add no salt in any meat or poultry dish, since the Kashering provides plenty of salt.
Ingredients
- 8 lamb shanks, or 3 ½ pounds lean lamb or beef, cut in 2 inch cubes
- 2 good pinches saffron
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 sprig rosemary, optional, leaves only (skip if you are using beef)
- Ground pepper to taste (no salt anywhere please: The lamb shanks have enough salt to season the whole dish, and then some)
- 2 pounds button mushrooms
- 2 10 ounce boxes frozen artichoke hearts, or frozen artichoke bottoms
Instructions
Put the lamb shanks or cubes in a heavy pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium, cover and cook 2 hours. Add the saffron, turmeric, rosemary and mushrooms and cook another 45 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and cook another 15 minutes. Make sure you don’t bruise the artichokes. The liquid in the pot should look thick and creamy. If it is too thin, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter with a slotted spoon, and reduce the sauce on a high flame until is reaches the consistency of maple syrup. Pour the sauce over all. Serve hot alone or with roasted potatoes.
Serve hot.
Hi I’ve made lamb shanks this method and want to try this delicious recipe! How do I make sure the lamb stays on the bone or doesn’t crumble to small pieces ? Thanks!
Michal The finished dish must be very tender. I think with the cooking time I have listed, you’ll be OK. You’re in for a treat!
Can you make the lambshanks with artichokes and mushrooms ahead of time?
Carol, yes, it will freeze very well!
Is the saffron essential in your recipes or can I substitute something else instead. I don’t know if it is kitniyos but can’t seem to find any for Pesach.
Sallie, if I listed saffron in a Passover recipe, it means I am absolutely certain it is OK. Pure saffron, bought new in an unopened box, needs no hechsher. I go what my (strictly orthodox) supervision tells me. Saffron flavor is incomparable.